DOH employees confused, worried

MANILA, Philippines - Employees of the Department of Health (DOH) are confused and worried over the multimillion-peso vaccine mess and other controversies hounding the DOH.

They want the issues, including the ongoing “war” between acting Health Secretary Janette Garin and Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa, to be settled at the soonest time.

Herbosa earlier threatened to sue Garin for attempting to oust him from the DOH.

“These issues are dragging the entire health department down. We don’t even know who will really head the department,” said an employee, who requested anonymity.

Although they hope appropriate charges will be filed against DOH officials involved in the questionable vaccine procurement, the employees said they want the investigation to be conducted quietly.

“Because these issues were being published all over, the public will always have doubts on whoever will head the department so it would be better if these were done discreetly,” a doctor said.

“These controversies are getting to be tiring, we hope DOH officials will move on so we could work together,” another employee said.

Reports said that Health Secretary on-leave Enrique Ona is on his way out. His leave ends on Nov. 27.

Aside from the questionable purchase of pneumococcal vaccine in 2012, Ona is also facing queries concerning the P1-billion rehabilitation of the Fabella Memorial Hospital.

Garin, for her part, called on DOH employees to support her efforts to implement reforms at the department.

Garin at Senate

Yesterday, Garin appeared before the plenary debates of the Senate on the proposed 2015 budget of the DOH without much fanfare and apparently Ebola-free as far as the senators were concerned.

Senators greeted Garin, who received flak for visiting Filipino peacekeepers quarantined on Caballo Island.

Clad in a black blouse and a long skirt, Garin got handshakes from Sens. Teofisto Guingona III and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and a buzz on the cheek from Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Acting Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who was among those who criticized Garin for her visit to the quarantined peacekeepers, faced Garin but was nowhere near her at the session hall.

Sotto stood at the rostrum with his back to DOH officials, which he promptly clarified had nothing to do with a fear of catching Ebola.

He said the decision to stand at that particular rostrum was because he was from the old school of the Senate who were taught to always face the Senate President when talking in plenary.

US helps DOH on Ebola

Meanwhile, three US doctors are in the country to help train DOH personnel to handle Ebola cases, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon said yesterday.

He said he chanced upon the doctors from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when he visited the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) last week.

He said he learned that the American doctors “are here to evaluate our protocols and to help us train those who would handle Ebola cases.” – Marvin Sy, Jess Diaz